Liquid-hydrocarbon engine.



E. HUDSON.

LIQUID HYDROGARBON ENGINE.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 24, 1909.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912 2 BHEETS-SHEET 1.

B. HUDSON.

LIQUID HYDROOARBON ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24. 1909.

1,036,848. Patented Au 27, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

EDMUND HUDSON, F TEMPLETON, MASSACHUSETTS.

- LIQUID-HYDROCARBON ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 27', 191% Application filed November 24, 1909. Serial No. 529,697.

To all whom it may concern:

. that the speed of Be it known that I, EDMUND Henson, a citizen of the-United States, and a resident of Templeton, in the county of Worcester. and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liquid-Hydrocarbon Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, whereby any one skilled. in the art may make and use the same.

The invention relates to liquid hydrocarbon engines or engines commonly known as gas engines, and more particularly to engines of the two and four cycle type.

The object of the invention is toprovide' a fuel supply for the cylinder and a system of utilizing said fuel supply in such manner the'engine may be controlled.

A further object is to provide a means for operating an engine of the character described as a two or four cycle engine, that is, varying within definite limits, the impulses of explosion which will be given within the cylinder.

A still further object is to providean automatic regulating device actuated directly from the fly-wheel of the engine for controlling the impulses within the cylinder with certain cooling and scavenging arrangements for increasing the efliciency of such a device.

Referring to the drawings :Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the device with parts broken away to illustrate the construction. Fig. 2 is a front elevation with the fly-wheel removed and parts broken in section. Fig. 3 is a detail side view as shown in Fig. 1,

illustrating the means for cooling and scavenging the cylinder. 1

It has been common practice to utilize carbureters and injectors for supplying li uid fuel to the cylinder of a gas orliquid hy rocarbon engine and such devices have been controlled by governors of various types, which either control the point of ignition within the cylinder or the introduction of the gas or liquid hydro-carbon thereto. In

the device hereinafter described, there is set forth a mechanism by which the cylinder is so constructed and correlated with other mechanisms that it may operate directly as a four cycle or as a two cycle engine and this is made possible not only from the arrangement of the cylinder with its exhaust and inlet ports, but in view of the control of the introduction of the oil, vapor or explosive mixture within the cylinder.

The main features of the engine cylinder with regard to its .cooling and scavenging advanta es are illustrated and described in a copen ing application, Serial No. 521,748, entitled Gas engines and filed October 8th, 1909. The devlce by which the speed of the engine may be changed from a four 2, 3, are supported in a yoke or frame 5,

6, which may be surmounting a plug screwed into the head of the cylinder 1. The inner valve 3, is mounted upon and moves with a stem 7, controlled by a spring ,8, while the outer valve 2, has a tubular stem 9, sup'porting'the valve stem 7 con trolled by a coil-spring 10. Surrounding the cylinder is a casing 11, which may be divided into suitable compartments by the projecting cooling fins 12, of the cylinder 1. This casing, adjacent to the lower edge of the cylinder is open as at 13, and at the upper end connects through a conduit or tube 14, with a pressure blower 15, driven by the main shaft of'the engine. As described in the copending application, the blower or pressure device 15, is so actuated by the mam shaft that a constant and com siderable pre sure of air above atmospheric is inducedabout the inlet valves and over the surface of the cylinder 1. It follows that the piston, not shown in Fig. 3, upon its downward stroke will, as soon as the pressure within the cylinder is reduced cycle to a two cycle engine or vice versa is V strike against a roll 32, mounted in the end -main shaft of the engine, bearing a flymembers 22, 23, may be moved outwardlyconnected through a ring 24, and

trifugal force, which vwheel or disk 19, which has pivoted to it,

as at 20, 21, two corresponding controller arms or blades 22,23. These arms are intering arms 25, 26, the former encircling the hub of the fly-wheel and the latter pivotally connected with the controller blades22, 23. The blades 22, 23, are normally held at the innermost limit of their play against stops 27, 28, by springs 29 maybe induced by the rapid rotations of the fly-wheel, said against the tension of the springs 29, 30.' In normalconditions, the governor arms 22, 23, are concentric with reference to the center of'rotation of the balance wheel or disk 19,

and when so rotating, an inclined track or.

cam 31, upon the governor arm 22, will of a' plunger 33, nicely fitted within'a tubular pumping member 34, and will cause said plunger 33, to be forced into the tubular member 34, as hereinafterdescribed. Whenv the speed of the fly-wheel is so increased that the governor arms 22, 23, are carriedaway from the concentric position normally occupied, the inclined cam 31, will be thrown into such a position that it will not strike theroll 32, and thereupon, the plunger 33, will not be actuated. From this, it

will be seen that the position of the arms 22, 23, will determine the number of impulses dependent upon the speed of the main shaft and fly-wheel. I V

i The tube 34, above referred to, is really one of the tubes of an injector'system in which the oil inlet is, through acheck-valve 35, connecting with a tube 36, transversely to which extend axially alined tubes 37, 38. The former tube 37, projects through the engine cylinder casing and terminates in a nozzle 39, which is located just above the exhaust ports 16. This nozzle 39, is controlled by a needle-valve40, which terminates in a piston 41, arranged in the tube member The piston 41, with its needle-valve 40, is

normally forced upward to close the nozzle' 39, by a spring) 42, which may be controlled as to tension y a thumb-nut 43. In normal position, the piston 41, lies below the opening through the transversetubes 34, 36, and as the piston 33, is forced inward, the tension of the spring 42, is such that roj ect- 30, but, owing to cen-.

the piston 41, will be driven back, carrying with it, the needle-valve 40, and opening the nozzle 39. The tension of the spring 42, is

also sufiicient to again close the nozzle as soon as pressures are equalized,so thata predetermined quantity of liquid fuel may always be injected through the nozzle39, at

each impulse conveyed from the fly-wheel ofthe governor to the plunger 33.

The plunger 33, 1s normally held in'its outermost position by a spring 44, located between a bushing 45, and a pin 46, secured in the plunger 33. This pin extends througha slot 47, in the pump casing tube 34, and permits movement of the plunger 33,

against the force of the spring 44. A nut 48, which is adjustable along the threaded exterior of the tube 34, provides for adjustment of the plunger as to its normal position.

From the above,'it will be seen that under ordinary conditions of rotation of the flywheel, a certain number of impulses will be given to the plunger 33, by the action of the cam 31, upon the governor arm .22, and

if an abnormal speed is attained, the arm 22, will be moved outward until the cam 31, no longer engages the roll 32, as the governor arm 22, rotates with the fly-wheel. There upon, the-number of explosions within the cylinder, will be reduced until the speed of the fiy-wheel comes back to its normal and predetermined number of revolutions.

In order to compensate for the sub-normal conditions of speed and secure a control for giving an impulse to the, plston, there IS arranged a mechanism for giving an impulse regularly on alternate revolutions of the fiy-wheel. This consists of a half-time or half-speed gear: 50, in mesh with a gear 51, upon the main shaft, which gear 50, is

axially movable upon its bearing 52, and is controlled by a lever 53, suitably fulcrumed as at 54, and havin a yoke connectionr55, with the sleeve56, o the gear 50. The gear 50, on its face adjacent to the fly-wheel, is

provided with a lifting cam or projection '57, arranged to'engage a pin 58, extending from the rear of the arm 25, which connects with the governor arm 22. When the lever 53, is

moved into one position, the cam 57, during each revolution of the gear, will strike against the pin 58, raising said pin and the member 22, into such position that the cam 31, will not engage with and give an impulse to the plunger 33, through its contact roller 32. lVhen the gear 50, is shifted into its opposite position by a movement of the lever 53, the cam 57, will be beyond the path of movement of the pin 58,and therefore such impulses will be given to the plunger 33, as occur through the ordinary operation of the device. With this arrangement, the lever 53, may be actuated by hand or foot to move the half-time gear .50, so

that in place of raising the cam 31, on alternate strokes of the pistion and revolutions of the fly-wheel to give a four-cycle injection of fuel to the cylinder, it may be moved out a of engaging position so that each revolution of the flywheel and crank shaft will cause an impulse'on the injector until the increased speed of the fly-wheel shall cause the governor arm 22, to move outward into such position that it will not give an impulse to the injector piston 33. With this arrangement the motor, when normally operating as a four cycle engine, may be instantly converted to a two cycle engine, and vice versa, by the use of the lever 33 and the shifting of the gear 50. In either case, it will be controlled as to predetermined maximum speed by the governor arms 22, 23, which move the cam 31, andcontrol the impulses given to the injector piston 33.

It will be noted that the injector nozzle 39, is introduced to the cylinder at a point just above the upper line of the exhaust ports and it is merely a matter of timing to adjust the impulse mechanism on the flywheel to cause an injection of fuel immediately after the scavenging charge of fresh air and after the piston has completely closedthe exhaust ports. In this manner, the fuel is introduced to the cylinder when there is comparatively no high pressure of the pure air and as it is sprayed toward the upper end of the combustion chamber, it is completely and thoroughly diffused throughout the .air contained therein The liquid fuel just prior to injection is raised to a comparatively high temperature inasmuch as the injector nozzle is located in the wall of the cylinder at a point adjacent to the exhaust where there is always a higher degree of heat than in any other part of the cylinder. 1

Obviously, various modifications might be made without departing from the spirit and intent of the invention, which contemplates the combination of elements by which the speed of the engine may be controlled and with which the number of explosive charges fired Within the cylinder may be varied to provide a motor of the well-known four cycle or two cycle type with automatic control when running under either system. VVit-h such an arrangement of automatic control and manual control for the impulses given to the injecting mechanism combined with a cylinder so arranged that it may, if desired, receive an impulse at each complete revolution of the crank shaft, it is apparent that the engine may be operated either as a two cycle engine or as a four cycle engine, and the cycle of operation may be determined and controlled by the operative. Furthermore, the automatic control of the impulse given to the injecting mechanism as is directly dependent upon the speed of n that" the engine and this mechanism may he so adjusted as to give a maximum normal speed and will automatically adjust itself to said speeds Whether operating as a two cycle or a four cycle engine. This, of course, is made possible, not only by the use of the peculiar method of injecting the fuel, but also by having the cylinder arranged with inlet ports which will permit free passage of air into the cylinder under pressure, and through the open exhaust ports, when the piston has uncovered them. It will be noted that, with this arrangement of inlet and exhaust Valves combined with the air pressure about the inletvalve, that a complete scavenging of the cylinder will take place immediately the exhaust ports begin to open and this scavenging and cooling effect will continue until the port is completely closed. Thereupon, there is air under normal pressure equal to the force of the blowing apparatus within the cylinder and the fuel is injected therein just at the closing .of the exhaust port. Thereupon, a further movement of the piston causes a greater pressure against the underside of the inlet valve than the inflowing air does at the outer side of said valve, and the charge of air with the injected fuel is compressed.

Obviously, the engine may not be confined to the single cylinder type, and as in the case of any liquid hydrocarbon or gas engine, the cylinders may be multiplied and the engine may be of single or double cylinder type, or the cylinders may be multiplied to any desired degree to suit the exigencies of any particular case.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An internal combustion engine comprising a combustion chamber, a piston and a crank shaft, an injector actuated from the fly wheel of the engine at fixed periods during the revolution of the crank shaft, automatic means for varying the impulses given to the injector mechanism, and a shiftable device for varying the normal operation of the injector mechanism whereby the cycle of the engine may be changed and controlled at will,

2. A liquid hydro-carbon engine comprising a combustion chamber, piston and crank shaft, means afor introducing air under pressure through said cylinder, an injector actuated from the fiy-wheel of the engine" at fixed periods during the revolution of the crank shaft, automatic means for varying the impulses given to the injector mechanism, and a shiftable device for varying the normal operation of the injector mechanism, whereby the cyple of the engine may be changed and controlled at will.

3. In a liquid hydro-carbon internal combustion engine, the combination with the cylinder and piston working therein, of

a fuel injecting device including a nozzle opening into the cylinder, 9; tube 38 in alinement with the nozzle, another tube 36 transverse-1y arranged with reference to the tube 38 and communicating with the latter between it and the nozzle, a plunger mounted Within the said tube 36 for forcing the fuel.

through the nozzle, means carried by a moving part of the engine for operating the plunger, and a spring-held needle valve con trolling the opening through the nozzle,- the said needle valve havin a piston mounted in the tube 38 and belng arranged to be opened when the said plunger is operated,

by pressure on the fluid. incident to thei153 movement of the said piston.

EDMUND HUDSON. Witnesses:

CLARENCE H. Marni, WARREN T. BARTLETT. 

